How to Heat Your Orangery

"What methods of heating are available for Orangery installations?"

The merits of an orangery mainly revolve around their large glass windows that allow more natural light into the room and create a calm, relaxing space which has an element of grandeur and luxury. Since we’re now heading into the summer months, many of us will sit back in the warmth of our orangeries, soak in the sunlight and enjoy a comfortable atmosphere.

However, because we can, at present, be warm in our surroundings, now is the time to consider how we are going to heat our orangeries in the winter months, when the large glass windows tend to cool down our properties.
If we make sure our orangery has a method of heating now, we will reap the rewards when winter springs upon us.
Orangeries UK have gathered some useful information on how to heat your orangery so that you can have the most functional, comfortable and luxurious orangery there is to offer.

The three most popular methods of heating an orangery are through radiators, wet underfloor heating and electric underfloor heating.
Consider the following information about each of the ways to heat your orangery to help you make a decision about the type of heating that’s best for you.

Heating Your Orangery with Radiators

You probably already heat your home using radiators since they are an effective mode of heating. Most properties ae heated using radiators since they aren’t too expensive, are easy to install and come in a range of sizes.
Extending the central heating system into an orangery is often cheaper than installing underfloor heating. In addition, radiators have a lot of further advantages.

Not only are they cheaper to install, radiators have a quick response time and allow independent control of the temperature of the room if they have a Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV). What’s more, there are a large choice of radiator designs. You can opt for a subtle and traditional white radiator or a more contemporary orange oblong one for a more eccentric design!

The disadvantages of using radiators to heat your orangery are, firstly, that they take up a lot of wall space which minimises space for wall decorations, shelving and furniture. In addition, because orangeries usually have limited wall space, it may prove to be difficult for your orangery to fit in large enough radiators for ample heating output.
What’s more, there is the possibility of overloading the existing central heating boiler, which could potentially cause problems with the heating in the rest of the house.

Also, pipe runs may be needed through other rooms which complicates the installation, may be unsightly and require further adjustments to different rooms in your house.
Finally, radiators heat by convection (where heat rises, rather than circulates) so the floor stays cooler. Cold floors are worth considering if you are thinking of using stone or ceramic tiling for the flooring in the orangery.

Heating Your Orangery with Electric Underfloor Heating

Electric underfloor heating warms the orangery from the floor up. It is expensive to install but cheaper than water-based methods. There are two types of electric underfloor heating, one using an in-screed cable, and the other using a heat mat.

Electric Underfloor Heating (In-Screed Cable)
With the in-screed method, a continuous cable is laid on top of the floor insulation prior to screeding (laying the cement mix). The cable can then heat the whole screed which goes on to act as a large thermal store. Once operating temperature is reached, energy can be maintained through a small amount of heat. A modern orangery ideally has a heating output of around 200 W/m².

Electric Underfloor Heating (Heat Mat)
This is where a heat mat is fitted after the floor is screeded but before the floor is tiled. The heat mat system has a quick response time, but no thermal store, so will cost more to run. What’s more the heat mat will warm the floor but may struggle to heat the whole orangery on colder days.

Heating Your Orangery with Wet Underfloor Heating

Wet underfloor heating has been regarded as the ultimate method of heating an orangery. It basically means that the floor is heated by hot water, which comes from a boiler system, and is, ultimately, a radiator that is fitted underneath the floor surface.
Wet underfloor heating has the most comfortable heating effect because it keeps your feet warm through the floor surface for a warm feet, cool head effect. It is perfect for ceramic or tiled floors to keep your feet cosy and warm.

In addition, it is a hidden heating system so does not cause you to lose wall space and is simple to install during the build of an orangery. It is also an efficient mode of heating. Underfloor heating puts little pressure on the central heating boiler. The whole of the screed (the cemented, smooth floor surface) acts as a large thermal store.
On the other hand though, wet underfloor heating has a higher installation cost than both electric underfloor heating and radiators. If you have already had your orangery built it will probably be more complicated to install than radiators, and actually responds significantly slower to heating demands than radiators.

In addition, the installation of wet underfloor heating has added complications since the system’s control gear, manifold and pump require boxing in and wiring must return to the boiler. Pipework is also necessary and will need covering up. If you have any more questions about your orangery or conservatory, call Orangeries UK on 0843 8868 552.